In my most favorite episode of Bar Rescue ever, Jon arrives to help Tim Hanna, owner of Angry Ham’s Garage in Framingham, Massachusetts, however, he ends up in some exciting confrontations with both Tim and Tim’s friend Lyndon “L.B.” Beyers. Surprise: A large part of the contention centers around Jon’s suggestion to change the establishment’s name, a point of resistance for Tim. Despite the name being a source of conflict with local residents and contributing to the bar’s decline, Tim remains steadfast about keeping his establishment called Angry Ham’s.

Angry Ham’s Garage, co-owned by Tim, Richie Olsen, and L.B., a former NHL player with a tarnished reputation due to a DUI and his history as a fighter on the ice, faced difficult hurdles from the start, and the owners made poor choice after poor choice. The city threatened to revoke the bar’s liquor license unless Tim assumed sole ownership, a move aimed at disassociating the establishment from its controversial co-owners. Compounding their issues, the name “Angry Ham” has historically been a derogatory term for Framingham citizens, making its use for the bar’s name particularly contentious and a direct affront to the community. City officials communicated everyone’s displeasure directly to Tim, Richie, and L.B., but their concerns had no effect, and the community became outraged and chose not to patronize the place.

The discord between Angry Ham’s Garage and the Framingham community permeates the establishment’s culture, emphasizing the “angry” aspect in its ambiance. The bar’s menu, décor, and entertainment choices foster an environment marked by overt masculinity, anger, sexism, and aggression. We get a sense of how bad things are when Jon’s expert, Chef Brian Duffy, discusses the not-so-delicious-sounding yet very legitimate menu item, Angry Poo Poo. Jon accurately observes that Angry Ham’s resembles “a bar that looks like it’s in a garage rather than a garage-themed bar.”

As if the general atmosphere wasn’t tense enough, everything escalates at Angry Ham’s when Jon informs Tim of his plans to meet with city officials in an effort to mend relations, which includes proposing a less contentious name for the bar. Tim’s skepticism surfaces through his sarcastic retort, suggesting that even a benign name like “Fluffies” wouldn’t appease the city. Despite Jon’s influence and expertise, Tim instinctively defends the bar’s existing identity, asserting, “This place jams.” Meanwhile, his claim is visually contradicted as the camera reveals an entirely vacant dining area, underscoring Tim’s delusions about his bar.

Jon matter-of-factly explains his position to Tim. “If you were sitting here making money, you’d be sitting in a seat of credibility. Right now, you’re not. You guys say it’s okay, but, frankly, it’s fucking stupid.” Seemingly at the end of his rope arguing with owners about name changes he believes are necessary to revive their bars, Jon continues, “If you want to keep it Angry Ham’s, then I’ll say goodnight, guys, and walk out of here. This thing is over right now, because I’m not gonna fucking waste my time.”

Tim digs his heels in, saying he not only wants to keep the name, but he also plans to expand to 15 franchises across the country. I had to laugh, as any regular Bar Rescue viewer would, knowing not only how ridiculous Tim’s claims are but also just how immutable Jon’s point of view is. Jon accepts Tim’s choice for him to leave and heads out to tell the camera, “If he thinks I’m going to stay here just to entertain him, he’s dead wrong. I gave Tim every opportunity to take my help. Well, if he doesn’t want it, that’s his loss.” Then, Jon meanders toward the door, stopping to inform Chef Duffy about what transpired and give Tim a little time to screw his head on straight.

L.B. does one redeeming thing this entire episode. He persuades Tim to reconsider his approach, leading Tim to inform Jon that he’d like him to stay and save his bar. Jon graciously accepts Tim’s change of heart. However, in a private moment with the camera, Tim expresses his strong attachment to the bar’s name, hinting that the dispute still might not be resolved, at least not for him.

The next day, in the subsequent go around regarding the name change, Jon arrives with documents for Tim to sign. Jon’s no fool and knows that Tim has not yet committed to the new name. Tim confronts Jon, asserting that convincing him won’t be easy, especially given the need to discard all the merchandise branded with the “Angry Ham’s” name. He suggests that Jon would also seek more information before making such a costly decision. This is the most successful approach I have seen someone make so far on Bar Rescue in regard to finding out the new name and concept Jon has chosen against their will. Surprisingly, Jon presents Tim with a draft of the new name and logo, and while it may have been because Tim asked, I’m inclined to believe Jon chose to reveal it to Tim to help move things along at a faster pace for Jon and his crew. Although the design remains unseen by us, Tim’s reaction is quite positive. He assures Jon, “I’m completely on board,” showing a newfound openness to Jon’s proposed changes, much to Jon’s satisfaction.

Amidst all the challenges at Angry Ham’s, one noteworthy feature stands out in a positive way: the bar’s famous giant pizza. Seizing on this unique asset, Jon and Chef Duffy decide to embrace the concept of substantial “man-sized” portions as a way to align the menu with a more refined garage theme and still keep its masculine appeal. This strategic shift includes the introduction of a colossal hamburger to go alongside the gigantic pizza and give the bar its new point of difference.

During the food tasting meeting prior to the soft opening, L.B. is conspicuously absent, a fact that Jon immediately notices. Addressing Tim, Jon emphasizes the importance of L.B.’s attendance at the crucial Sunday meeting with city officials, urging everyone to “humble up” as he aims to restore the community’s support for Tim’s bar. L.B.’s absence extends throughout the soft opening, with Jon assuring the staff he’ll address the issue the following day. However, L.B. fails to appear at the city hall meeting, prompting Tim to acknowledge the harsh reality that L.B. is not behaving as a true friend should, a sentiment he shares openly with city officials. The officials respond with an “I told you so” attitude, expressing relief upon learning of Tim’s decision to sever ties between L.B. and the reconceptualized establishment.

Before the grand reveal, Jon needs to address the absence issue with L.B., who eventually makes an appearance on the final day. L.B. attempts to justify his absence with weak excuses, but Jon dismisses them outright, labeling the explanations “bullshit” and accusing L.B. of lying. Jon then informs the staff that he, along with Tim, Richie, and L.B., will have a private discussion in the back of the parking lot, a prospect that has my stomach full of butterflies because I’m excited for the showdown that is likely coming.

Jon encourages Tim to take the lead in calling out L.B. but ends up being the kind of closer I want to have with me the next time I buy a new car. With his direct and firm speaking of the truth, Jon makes L.B. look like a 10 year-old kid getting kicked off the team by his favorite coach when he tells him, “Your days of damaging this place are over and what you bring to the table in a positive way is nowhere near what you’ve done to it in a negative sense, L.B. It’s the truth. I’m in charge of this place now and you’re gone. There’s a car waiting for you right there. Good night.”

I’ll be damned if Jon wasn’t telling the truth. There was a car waiting to whisk L.B. far, far away from Jon’s new masterpiece of a bar, Octane. Just like that, Jon shut down Angry Ham’s and he shut down L.B.

With the name change issue resolved, the city welcoming the remodel, and L.B. gone, Tim’s new garage-themed bar Octane is set up for success. A positive situation with the city, a smaller organizational chart, a manageable food inventory, trained staff, a huge “macho” burger, and a 20’ steel pin-up girl greeting guests at the outside door has Tim overjoyed by the improvements Jon made. He is elated that he trusted Jon and it paid off, and Tim verbalizes to the camera at the end of this episode what Jon’s fans think at the end of every episode, “I’m pretty much in love with Jon today.”

I invite you to consider and share your answers in the Comments: Do you think Jon treated L.B. fairly? Why or why not?